Conditions referenceSeason, water and visibilityBest Oct–May · Mild current · 26–30°C (coldest Jan, warmest May)
- Current
- Mild
- Water temperature
- 26–30°C (coldest Jan, warmest May)
- Visibility
- 8–25m: On the Dauin muck, visibility is often 8-15m and is not the point of the diving; the dark sand can look bare between finds.
- Experience
- The Dauin muck sites are shallow, calm and guide-led, fine for Open Water divers, though good buoyancy helps avoid stirring silt.
01 · Marine life
What you may see
Sightings are never guaranteed. The bars show typical likelihood by month.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | peak season |
| November | peak season |
| December | peak season |
Regularly seen on the Dauin muck, with reports of higher octopus and cuttlefish activity around October into the early dry season; sightings are still not guaranteed on any dive.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
A signature Dauin critter; hairy and other frogfish species are found on the sand slopes and mooring ropes year-round, though finding them relies on the guide.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Commonly seen carrying and hiding in shells across the Dauin sand flats; one of the more reliable octopus finds here.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
The signature Apo Island encounter; green turtles graze the shallows and are seen on nearly every dive around the sanctuary, with 60-plus individuals documented.
02 · Dive sites
Dive sites worth knowing
A starting point, not a ranking. Conditions decide what works on the day.
Coconut Point
Apo's most demanding site, with strong multi-directional current sweeping a sandy plateau; the exposure draws schooling jackfish and trevally, barracuda and whitetip reef sharks.
15–30m · Strong current
Apo Island Marine Sanctuary
The strictly protected core of Apo Island, with high coral cover and reliable green and hawksbill turtles feeding in the shallows; diver numbers are capped each day.
5–25m · Mild current
Rock Point East
A finger of reef that can run strong current, bringing blacktip and whitetip reef sharks, moray eels and turtles along the drop; occasional pelagics pass in the blue.
5–30m · Strong current
See all 7 dive sites
03 · LogisticsGetting there and costsModerate. Fly to DGT. Typical trip $–$$.
Route overview
Moderate
Reachable but with some friction: 1 domestic flight.
Airport options
DGT
Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport
Domestic flights of about 1h25 from Manila (MNL) or under 1h from Cebu (CEB); then a road transfer south to Dauin
Typical trip cost
$–$$
under $2,000 to $2,000–4,000
Per person, excluding international flights.
- Land-based dive resorts along the Dauin coast span budget guesthouses to upscale eco-resorts; a 7-day dive package commonly runs roughly $1,000-3,000 per person excluding flights.
- Apo Island is usually a separate day trip: dive centres charge roughly PHP 5,500-7,000 (about $95-120) for a three-dive day including boat, guide and fees.
Permit or park fee
What you pay
about PHP 300 (roughly $5) per foreign diver entrance, plus a mandatory local guide fee of around PHP 300 per group
the strict marine sanctuary caps diver numbers per day. Small Dauin municipal marine-sanctuary fees apply at some muck sites and are typically bundled by the resort.
How it works
Apo Island is a protected marine sanctuary with a mandatory entrance fee and a compulsory local guide. Several Dauin municipal marine sanctuaries also charge a small per-dive fee, usually arranged and collected by the dive centre.